Rage against the machine: a California community rallied against a datacenter

February 7, 2026

TL;DR

Monterey Park residents successfully campaigned against a proposed datacenter, leading to a moratorium and potential ban.
Nationwide, over 50 groups in 17 states have targeted 30 datacenter projects, halting two-thirds of them.
Datacenter opposition unites diverse groups, including NIMBYs, environmentalists, and political activists from across the spectrum.
Concerns about datacenters include straining power grids, increasing energy costs, water and energy drain, and air pollution.
The proliferation of datacenters has become a national topic, reinforcing local opposition efforts.
Local fights are influencing state and federal policy, with some politicians campaigning on regulating AI infrastructure costs.
Organizing strategies involve word-of-mouth, petitions, rallies, door-knocking, and building coalitions with community organizations.
The fight against datacenters is seen as a stand against big tech and a defense of community livelihoods and local character.

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